David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she has examined the possibility of making changes to the jobseeker's allowance payment to allow persons receiving this payment, in particular those who were previously self-employed, to sign-off temporarily to avail of very short periods of paid self-employment and sign on again when the work was concluded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6159/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Recipients of jobseeker's benefit who engage in self-employment are obliged to notify my Department of each day of self-employment. Where the number of days worked in a given week of unemployment is less than four (based on a six day week excluding Sundays), the level of entitlement is reduced by one sixth of the maximum weekly rate applicable to that person for each day of employment or self-employment.

In the case of jobseeker's allowance, recipients similarly are obliged to notify my Department where they take up self-employment. Jobseeker's allowance is a means tested payment and income from self-employment (less expenses necessarily incurred) is assessed on a yearly basis. The yearly means from such self-employment is divided by fifty two and deducted from the maximum weekly rate applicable to that person. It should be noted that the person may continue to claim jobseeker's allowance for a full week even when self-employed provided they continue to satisfy the other conditions for receipt of jobseeker's allowance including being available for full time employment and genuinely seeking such employment.

The current arrangements in relation to the assessment of self-employment for jobseeker's allowance are long-standing and are designed to reflect the fact that the nature of self-employment may be seasonal or sporadic and that income may vary significantly from week to week. There are no plans, at the moment, to alter the current arrangements.